Non-Nurse Midwife Midwifery Credentials In The US

Certified Midwife

Certified Midwives, like Certified Nurse Midwives, complete graduate programs accredited by ACME following the completion of their bachelor's degrees, however, they are not also registered nurses. Currently able to practice only in New York, New Jersey and Rhode Island, people who choose the CM path will have more limited career options as compared with CNMs. While the US currently counts over 11,000 CNMs, the number of Certified Midwives is much lower at nearly 100. As a CM, you would be a midwife without also being a nurse. Just like CNMs, CMs need to renew their accreditation once every five years.

Certified Professional Midwife

Certified Professional Midwives represent another tier of midwives. Licensed by the North American Registry of Midwives (NARM) and the National Association of Certified Professional Midwives (NACPM), these midwives are currently able to practice in 28 different states. Licenses, where available, are issued by the individual state in which a CPM works. The CPM credential will appeal most to those who would like to practice in out-of-hospital settings such as homes and birth centers, and out-of-hospital experience is required in order to become licensed as a CPM.

Interestingly, should you be considering becoming a CPM, two distinctly different roads are available to you. You could attend a school accredited by the Midwifery Education Accreditation Council (MEAC), including Birthwise Midwifery School in ME, Bastyr University in WA, and the National College of Midwifery in NM. These schools will equip you with the knowledge you need to pass the NARM examination, which, once obtained, needs to be renewed once every three years.

Another road towards becoming a CPM is apprenticing with an existing midwife. As an experienced direct-entry homebirth midwife, you can also qualify for the CPM credential. Note that the CPM credential is subject to controversy within the medical community, and that Certified Professional Midwives cannot use their skills and experience in other developed countries, where midwives are subject to more rigorous requirements.

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Direct Entry Midwife

Direct-entry midwives or lay midwives are uncredentialed midwives who practice exclusively in out-of-hospital settings. Allowed to practice in 23 states across the US at the moment, direct entry midwives are not allowed to provide care to women and their babies in the remaining states — something that would be considered practicing medicine without a license and subject to severe penalties. 

Direct entry midwives gain their experience by learning from existing midwives through an appenticeship model. This may appeal to those who prefer to learn in a hands-on manner. Make no mistake though: all other paths to midwifery will better equip you with the knowledge you need to provide adequate care to your patients, as well as giving you better career opportunities.

How Do You Decide Which Path To Midwifery Is Right For You?

If you would like to provide care to women and their babies in a hospital setting as a professional whose credentials are recognized everywhere across the United States, there is no question that the Certified Nurse Midwife credential is the path you are looking for. Should you live in one of the states where CMs are allowed to practice, this road of becoming a professional midwife without also becoming a nurse is a reputable option to consider as well. Certified Professional Midwives and Direct Entry Midwives are more limited in the scope of care they are able to provide as well as in where they are allowed to practice.